Now the etiquette is a little bit odd when you're on a panel because it's not like when you're in a large room and it's your turn to speak and you're introduced and you get up and people are looking at you then but not other times. If you're on a panel discussion to the person next to you or to down is speaking, you're still in the spotlight. A lot of people forget that. So someone else is speaking. And the one panel is sort of, you know, looking at notes, doodling looking down, it looks rude. It sends a message.

Hey, if I'm not speaking, I don't really care what anyone else has to say I'm so important and I couldn't possibly learn from this other person. It's sending a negative message. You're in the spotlight even though you're not speaking so my recommendation is, it's okay to have notes should be a single sheet but don't be looking at them when someone else is speaking. My recommendation, look at the person speaking as polite, you won't be distracting people be people who do look at you looking at the speaker will form the impression that you're paying attention you care you're trying to learn to you're open to new ideas, these are all good things. So do keep in mind, even when you're not speaking, the spotlight is on you. So pay attention to the other speakers look polite, at least pretend to listen.

And who knows, you might learn something. The other reason you want to do that is a good panel has interaction has debate. So you need to really be in the moment listening, so you can react. Now, depending on the style of the panel, moderator may want you to engage, engage in actual debate and interrupting people occasionally and I wouldn't overdo it. You don't want to be seen as rude. But you've got to really listen to what other people say.

So that you can incorporate that into your argument into your rebuttal. Great panels are not just five independent people coming and giving their presentations and ignoring people, there is some engagement. There's some disagreement. Sometimes there's some synergy building on the ideas. So you've got to be in the moment. You've got to listen, you don't want to seem like you're just phoning it in and ignoring everything else.

So be in the moment. Listen, if you want to take notes to read about something, that's okay. Just don't be writing your grocery list and other people can see or be doodling that's going to be obvious to spot. So listen carefully so that you can reference what other arguments were when you have another time to speak depending on the format. That is essential. Because if it's just you and your ideas every time and it seems like you're ignoring it, that's not good.

But you don't want to go overboard you Don't want to spend two and a half minutes out of your five minutes saying well, I agree with what Sam said, I agree with what Sally said, Don't waste valuable time. agreeing with people if you want to focus on one thing somebody said that you think is counter to conventional wisdom and a really important point that you also that's okay, but don't waste time just agreeing with people. So listen carefully add to what is said.